Today was our third visit to Kettering’s Thunderbowl to show-off our Bowling talents. Paul and Sue joined us to add to the competitive atmosphere!

In spite of the very wet weather, a lot of other people had the same ideas as us today, and it was a lot busier than we remember it. In fact, the added numbers added a good vibe to the overall experience and the whole place felt more alive!

We were allocated Lane 10, with a large group to our left consisting of three generations of the same family, whilst on our right were (what seemed like) professional – or at least semi-professional – individuals doing some very clever things with their shiny balls! .

Whether it was being surrounded by other groups displaying such enthusiasm and skill forced us to ‘up our game’, I don’t know, but we all had our moments today. We managed three ‘games’ of 10 ’rounds/frames’ (crikey! I even sound like I know what I’m talking about now!) and although we all thought some of the pins were fixed to the floor with blu-tack! , we enjoyed the experience!

Normally, anything sport-related goes together like strawberries and err… chips with me, so no-one was more surprised than I was, that I came out top in all three games. Surely a coincidence, or a five-leaf clover in my pocket somewhere – who knows?!?!

We finished around 2pm (mainly because we were hungry AND our bowling arms were almost falling off!). We headed for our table at The Olde Forge where we enjoyed a really tasty late lunch. I wonder if I’ll be as skilful the next time we visit Thunderbowl?

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Thunderbowl 3 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Nope, nothing to do with a misheard Bond movie – we went bowling at the Kettering Thunderbowl today!

We were last here back in May of this year with Paul & Sue – when it was my first visit! Back then, I started well but obviously peaked too early and ended up rubbish by the end of the game. In spite of that, a return visit was planned and we picked up Sue along the way (Paul’s ‘slumming it’ in Tenerife with Ben) to see if I could improve. What’s that? Ahh, the sound of fans NOT holding their breath!

One thing you can say about the whole scoring process is that it’s very high-tech (maybe even more-so than last time?). No chalk on a blackboard here, instead an electronic scorecard with the option to link it to your phone. Even for me, it looked like a bit of a faff, but at least we got the scoreboard set up correctly with our names!

And so, with Lane 7 all our own, and the surrounding area evacuated, we polished our balls and aimed for the target…

Do you know what? We didn’t do too badly. I found my form and was victoriousin the first, whilst Sue won the second, and final Frame.

By way of celebration, we then headed off to nearby Fox and Peony (our first visit) for a snack-lunch!

Well, that was a very pleasant experience! A straightforward menu all at a sensible price – and all served with a smile! . Best of all, Sue treated us! Cheers Sue!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Thunderbowl! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

As all of us (in the UK, anyway) escape the clutches of the pandemic restrictions, I’m in the mood to re-stimulate my grey cells (cellS?) and get my brain back into gear!

I’m going to dive into the world of the Raspberry Pi! For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, the ‘Pi’ is a tiny computer that’s incredibly cheap and small… and powerful!

My Mentor in all of this, is my long-time mate Chris, who’s got years of experience in this area, so I know I’m in good hands!

The Pi can be built to do a gazillion of things – from replacing a household PC to controlling a robot, the list is almost endless.

My initial aim is more straightforward(ish) though – to build a small unit that monitors our gas and electricity use, and then display upcoming costs. It’ll be a sort of Smart Meter on steroids! And some!

Chris and I are splitting the job into two chunks. Chunk 1 will be to build a basic Pi and get it up and running followed by the second chunk focussing on the capture and display of the energy data.

I’m planning to build the latest Pi version – the ‘4B’ (whatever that means!). It’s got pretty much all the sockets you’d find on a standard PC and although it’s less powerful, in its favour, it’s tiny, measuring just 85.6mm × 56.5mm (that’s about 3½ inches x 2 inches in old money!) – think of it as about the same size as a deck of cards!

Everything you need can be bought online (so no need to even visit a shop!) and I discovered that compared to other computer tech, everything is very cheap – the 8Gb model, the highest spec, only costs around £50. Happy days!!!

OK, I needed to get a case for it, and for my particular project, a screen too, but the low cost and its diminutive size still made it a very convenient piece of kit. Once we’d bolted together all the parts…

…the Raspberry Operating System needed installing – and that’s where Chris’s expertise kicked-in!

We finished the ‘first chunk’ in just under three hours – and it all looked pretty good!

Chunk 2, where we link up all the various data sources, is planned over the next few months. So far, so good.

Cheers for your help Chris!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post More Pi anyone? appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Friday is here again and that means our Archery Lessons continue…

This is our last week (for 2019) where the Club will be shooting outside (due to an earlier sunset affecting the light). Next time we move inside to a local school until March-time next year. Due to other commitments – including a holiday – we won’t be back until early November.

Whilst Ann continued with the traditional Bow, I joined the Longbow group again this week for some more Clout Archery ‘Clouting’ is where, rather than aim directly at a target, we aim for a flag firing arrows into the air – and this requires a very different technique.

The last time I was here, a couple of weeks back, my technique had taken a turn for the worse. At the time, I couldn’t quite figure out why, but tonight, all became clear. Dave, my Mentor, knew why, and consequently dropped me down to a lighter Bow (from 40lb. to around 25lb.). Apparently, it’s a well-known issue, where novices, in a natural desire to move to heavier Bows in order to increase distance, sacrifice their technique, as they concentrate too much energy on ‘pulling’ the actual Bow. The issue is known as being overbowed.

Simples!

With the lighter Bow, I immediately saw and felt an improvement! Not only was my technique now much better, I also found my arrow-grouping to be a lot better too! Dave also commented on my improvement, which helped my confidence enormously!

A great Lesson!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Archery Outside-In appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It was our weekly Archery Class tonight!

So, after my generally sub-par performance last week, I’m hoping I’ll be on better form tonight – especially as my Mentor, Dave, is back to keep an eye on me!

Again tonight, conditions were perfect – not too warm, not too cold with a gentle breeze. It was a good turnout too, and we all noticed that it started to get dark a bit earlier impacting on how much time we had to shoot.

After a few rounds shooting at a target, I joined the Longbow group where Dave gave my technique a thorough examination. One of the things I’m noticing is that I can retain the said technique providing I’m there every week, but if I miss even a single lesson, then it’s a return to crapsville!

As things turned out, tonight was a good night for me – my best performance for some time – and I shot right up until about 8.15 (when the lack-of-light stopped play). Unfortunately, I’m not there next week, so it’ll be interesting to see the impact of this on my technique next time.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bow Best? appeared first on Steve's Blog.

After a two-week absence, (Film Night two weeks ago and rain stopped play for the whole Club last week) we’re back to the Bows tonight!

Weather-wise, it was a scorcher – a great start to the Bank Holiday weekend!

And the weather seemed out bring out the members too! – a record attendance for a Friday. The exception was my Mentor, Dave who was away at another shooting event tonight. In his absence, I used the Longbow for actual target practice…

Wish I hadn’t though!

Why? Well, the two-week absence definitely affected my efforts – to say I was ‘all over the place’ was an understatement, with just as many of my arrows threatening the grass as the target! Still, on a positive note, Ann did pretty well – and it was a beautiful evening to be outside! We stayed until around 8pm, when most attendees called it a night too!

Not my best efforts, by a long, long way – better luck next week!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Archery Absentees! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Where do I begin..?

Both Ann and I are getting serious about our Friday-night Archery Classes, and it was therefore time to start investing in some kit of our own.

So, earlier in the week, after some recommendations, we took the short drive to the local Archery Shop in Burton Latimer – TargetCraft – to begin stocking-up.

But I’m glad we got some directions beforehand, because you’d never find it ‘just by driving’ – even with a Sat Nav! Wow! This ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ for Archers, was naturally stocked with everything we needed, plus a whole lot more!!

Time then NOT to be tempted by those shiny, shiny multi-coloured bows, precision-built arrows and everything in between – but stick rigidly to our small list (at least for today!)

Mission accomplished in that we only spent a tad over £30! Most useful acquisition of all – a guard for each of us to protect the inner-arm from the bow-string slicing into flesh on release! (and it certainly does, especially with novices like us!). Ouch!

Secondly, a glove for me to ease the pressure on the fingers when drawing a Longbow.

4.45pm: Nicki arrived, and is staying with us for most of the weekend. We took her along as a spectator for tonight’s archery adventure, ensuring that she positioned herself in a safe place (in front of the target, in my case!)

6.15pm: We each did our own thing tonight, and even Nicki had a go!

Perhaps not one of my most productive evenings as Dave, my Coach was later arriving, but as they say: “every day is a school-day” and even with the lack of shooting opportunities, I picked up some useful tips!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Glove Story! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

So, with Friday here again, it’s time for our weekly Archery Lessons courtesy of Kettering Archers. For me, tonight is extra special as I’ve traded-up to a proper English Longbow! – and it came with some expert coaching from one of KA’s experienced Bowmen, Dave.

Although it’s perfectly possible to use the Longbow for target shooting, the alternative is something called ‘Clouting‘ where the objective is to land the arrow as close to the flag (the ‘clout’) as possible by shooting upwards into the air. Safe to say, that on this occasion, the flag was pretty safe from my shooting accuracy ! Anyway, this week was about technique (well, that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it!)

Because the Longbow is more powerful than the reflex/practice bow I’ve been using up until now, the distance travelled is a lot greater – at least twice as far – so I get a weekly walk as part of the deal too! Typically, the practice bow has been anything from a 14 pounder up to around 24, whereas the English Longbow that I’m using is around a 40 pounder – as a result, it’s tough just to draw it and the correct technique is a must! Distance-wise, my arrows are now travelling around 170 yards, but I’m told that I still need to work on that all-important technique and Dave helpfully filmed me in action, providing much constructive feedback afterwards.

Consequently, I’m now a complete ‘saddo’ and criticising ANY film that features a bowman – Lord of the Rings, Robin Hood, Game of Thrones to name but a few! They make it look so easy!!! “Wrong posture!”, “Incorrect drawing of the bow!”, “How do you expect to hit anything, holding the bow like that?”. I’m so critical now I know what’s what! (ish)

I am, however, (still) great fun at parties!!

More of the same next week – watch out flag, I’m coming for you!!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Long(bow) Story Short! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Friday is with us again and that means it’s our weekly lessons, courtesy of Kettering Archers!

For me this time, there was a deliberate change of equipment! After spending last week and the week before dabbling with the Longbow, tonight, I decided to spend the whole evening with this more authentic Bow. Remember, it has no arrow-guide, no sights – so it’s just sheer strength, and a bit of luck and judgement, attempting to send it to the target – I must have looked like an extra from a familiar Cider advert and perhaps I’d have had more success aiming at CANS as I was NOT on form at all tonight!!!

Whilst Ann continued to refine her technique with her Practice Bow, I was introduced to the Longbow Group – and I spent the rest of the evening with them! A very nice group of chaps, offering what Kettering Archers do best: plenty of guidance – both literally and figuratively. With these ‘merrie men’ I immediately sensed an extra element of fun, as I spotted that many of them had a small beer tankard attached to their waistband. When I asked the inevitable question, I was told that after practice, it was for ‘the Mead’ (well, obviously!) Wow! I’m going to like it here!!! They also carry the highly decorated pink arrow – awarded to the Archer who ‘screws-up’ their shots in the most imaginative way! At last, I’m an instant winner!

Slightly disappointingly, my current Longbow, compared to theirs, only had the poundage to send my arrows half the required distance. So, roll-on next week, when I’m dispensing with my 30-pounder and ‘trading-up’ to something much heavier. I’m learning that this fun hobby is also giving me a good upper-body work-out…

…and that’s not just trying to get the top off the bottle of Mead!!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post A Long Time with a Longbow! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Friday evening – and our weekly Archery lesson..!

..and another warm evening too!! In fact, maybe a bit too warm!

After dabbling with that ‘big-boy’s toy’ last week known as the Longbow – this evening was more of the same for me, plus a trade-up to a heavier Practice Bow in the shape of a 24-pounder (two pound heavier than previously).

Meanwhile, Ann experimented with different bow-weights to consolidate her technique.

When the time came, my slightly heavier practice-bow made the Longbow feel easier to use than last week (it’s still a b****** to pull though!). However, in spite of the extra physical challenge, it’s now my favourite type, even though it’s a bit ‘old school’ by comparison.

But as much as I liked it, in order to avoid a repeat of last week’s NFfaD* Syndrome, John, the Chairman of Kettering Archers (and our Coach) supplied me with an essential bit of extra kit…

*Numb Fingers for a Day!

Known as a ‘finger guard’ (how do they think of these names!), it’s a crucial add-on that provides protection for an Archer’s fingers from the pressure of the bow-string cutting into the flesh whilst drawing the bow. It may not look very elegant, but it does the job perfectly!

..and maybe it made all the difference!!! Just look at that shot… and that’s using a bow without a sight??

Seriously though, it’s probably as good as it’s ever going to get for me..! So I milked the moment!

Next week I’m giving the practice bow a break and spending the whole lesson on the Longbow! Standby Kettering A&E!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Steve – Take a Bow! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

If it’s Friday night, then for us, it can only mean one thing: stick ’em with the pointy end! Sorry, I do of course mean… outdoor archery practice, courtesy of Kettering Archers.

And what a lovely evening for it!

Ann and I continued to refine our technique with the bows we used last time – an 18-pounder for Ann and a 22-pounder for me!

But just to make things more interesting, and by way of a change, I also had a go with a ‘big boy bow’ – a 30-pound longbow! No sights, no arrow guide – and ultimately for me, no feeling in my fingers!

Imagine the Bullworker product, twice the size, half the weight with at least 10 times the difficulty – AND with an arrow connected to it! Boy, that extra poundage made all the difference!, but at least I hit the target! However, the physical strength needed to pull, hold steady, take aim (remember, no sights!) and release, meant I felt like I’d had a serious upper-body workout. For the hour that followed, I had no feeling at all in the two bowstring-fingers on my right hand!

But I DO love a challenge, and so it’s more longbow for me next week, plus I’m moving up to a 24-pound standard practice-bow. What a manly pursuit this is!!! Just call me Little Steve*

*No don’t!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Big Boy Bow! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Our Archery lessons continued tonight.
We’re now in our third week (after a fortnight’s distraction elsewhere) and we’ve moved up to heavier bows – Ann’s on an 18-pounder and I’m trying out a 20-pounder.

Considering it’s been raining day and night for most of the week, the evening turned out to be perfect!

And perhaps the combination of heavier bows, and improved weather affected our accuracy! Not only were we hitting the target, many of our shots were closer to the centre than ever!

We’re not at next week’s practice lesson, but the theme, going forward, is to gradually move to even heavier bows, little-by-little, and also to move the target even further away!

Ooo, we do love a challenge!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Theme from The Archers appeared first on Steve's Blog.

After last Friday’s and Saturday’s expert coaching, tonight, we headed down to town for 6.30pm to enjoy some more archery practice, as guests of Kettering Archers. It was great fun, and the weather was on our side – a beautiful evening!

It was very well attended with around 20 of us on recurve bows, a few on compound bows and even two using longbows.

Well, after two hours and around 10 rounds (60 arrows) I suppose we didn’t do too badly with our shooting. Both John and Lee helped us a lot with their one-to-one advice and we’re gradually ‘getting there’ with our technique. Next week, we’re both moving up to ‘heavier’ bows that we’re told will help with our accuracy and distance.

My green tights are on order!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bow Guest appeared first on Steve's Blog.

With the local residents advised to stay indoors, and the adjacent roads closed or on diversion – it can only mean one thing!

No, not another major crime in Kettering, just Ann and I taking archery lessons!

The coaching is split into two-parts. Part 1 is a class just for us two (as we couldn’t make the official first lesson, last Saturday) whilst Part 2 is where we join the rest of the group to fine-tune our skills. We’d already had a ‘go with a bow’ at our recent Warner Weekend and motivated by the fact we both actually hit the target (and no livestock nor humans were harmed) we’re ready for this!

But are they ready for us?

Part 1 – Friday

4.00pm: We met John Bosworth who will be our Coach. He’s pretty well-known rounds these parts for his archery skills being Chairman of Kettering Archers as well many other archery-related activities. We’re in very safe hands then! We spent a generous two-hours with John at the local Cricket Ground, and learned a lot about the art and science of this sport. We also met a lot of other Club members too! A great evening!

Part 2 – Saturday

10.30am: We arrived at the local Catholic Church (St Edwards) for the concluding part of our Beginner’s Course. It was a full-house, with around another dozen-or-so willing delegates – all ages, from kids to oldies, like us – taking part. Full-marks to Lee for leading today’s session.

There were a number of the Archery Club staff there too – and everyone was very generous with their time.

The three hours passed really quickly, and by the end, we’d had plenty of practice-time to develop our technique. Hats-off to all the Coaches offering their expertise! Plus, we got some very professional handout materials too, to remind us of the key learning points from today…

1.35pm: The Session finished with the presentation of our Certificates…

Overall, it had been a very impressive couple of sessions. First-class tuition from some very nice people too! The next stage is to visit the Club (they meet on Fridays and Sundays) to carry on practising! We’re both up for that!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Quivering in Kettering appeared first on Steve's Blog.